HR News Alerts

Poll Shows Nearly Three Quarters of Employers Preparing for Possible Budget Cuts Seventy percent of HR professionals feel budget cuts across entire organizations are likely if current challenges to the U.S economy continue, according to a nationwide survey released by

The National Business Group on Health Launching Free Smoking Cessation Site for Employers “The Business of Quitting An Employer’s Web Site for Tobacco Cessation” will be launched during a news briefing on November 20. The site was developed by the

Workplace Litigation Risk Heats up as Economy Cools A cooling economy and the workforce reductions that follow can raise employee anxiety and increase the prevalence of employment litigation. It's critical for employers to anticipate trouble on the legal front when the

Senate Finance Committee Chair Releases Plan to Require All Americans to Have Health Insurance Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D Mont.) on November 12, 2008 released a plan to require all Americans to have health insurance, improve health care

Identified as landmark legislation, new FMLA rules are intended to clear up regulatory confusion and will provide additional leave for military families.

Final FMLA Rule Is Published By Department of Labor The first revision to the Family and Medical Leave Act regulations since enactment of the 1993 law was published by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL) in the Federal

Federal Contractors, Subcontractors Are Required to Start Using E Verify Beginning January 15, 2009 In a final rule scheduled to be published in the November 14, 2008, Federal Register, the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council

Extended Mass Layoffs Highest for Third Quarter Since 2001  Employers initiated 1,330 mass layoff events in the third quarter of 2008, resulting in the separation of 218,158 workers from their jobs for at least 31 days, according to preliminary figures

New Jersey Employers Required to Display Poster on State’s Family Leave Insurance Program  The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development has issued a poster that employers must post to notify eligible employees of their rights under New Jersey’s Family Leave

One in Five Veterans Say It Took Six months or More to Find a Job Following Active Duty Veterans returning to the U.S. after active duty may now be facing a different battle finding a job. Nearly one in five

Federal Committee Report Offers Some Payroll Recommendations The Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC) has released its recommendations on a wide range of tax administration issues, including some payroll related items. A few of the recommendations are highlighted below. TIN

New Mexico Becomes First State to Enter Mediation Partnership with EEOC  The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the State of New Mexico have signed a Regional Universal Agreement to Mediate (RUAM) to informally resolve workplace disputes through Alternative

Milwaukee Paid Sick Leave Referendum Passes  On November 4, 2008, Milwaukee became the third city in the United States, after San Francisco and the District of Columbia, to require that all city businesses provide their employees with paid sick leave

A sample interactive process questionnaire designed to be used when an employee with a disability requests an accommodation after the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 goes into effect (January 1, 2009) can be found in the HRTools Resource Center in

U.S. Treasury Announces Executive Compensation Rules Under Emergency Economic Stabilization Act The U.S. Treasury Department announced on October 14, the development of three programs under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act and corresponding executive compensation and corporate governance standards. These standards

Business Confidence Survey Results Released by Administaff Source Business WirePublication date 2008 11 03 Despite current economic and political uncertainties, more than 37 percent of owners and managers of small and medium sized businesses expect a higher rate of growth

As White Collar Suicide Rates Reach All Time High, Need for Employee Assistance Programs Emphasized During today's economic turmoil, there is an increased need for employee stress management and financial counseling and planning, according to Deer Oaks EAP Services, a nationwide

HireVetsFirst Initiative Encourages Employers to Participate in Job Fair 'Blitz' In observance of Veterans Day, the Department of Labor’s HireVetsFirst initiative announced plans for a nearly month long blitz of more than 120 veterans’ job fairs to be held in

National Effort Needed to Combat Rising Pregnancy Discrimination Act Claims, Group Says Citing a sharp rise in pregnancy discrimination complaints, a women’s advocacy group participating in a symposium with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) called on the federal government

High Majority of Workers (87 Percent) Say They Plan to Vote in This Year's Presidential Election With the election less than a week away, voting for a new president is on the minds of many workers. Nearly nine in ten (87

Which States Require Employers to Give Employees Time off to Vote? Typically, time off to vote laws require that employees who are registered voters be given time off from work —usually up to two or three hours —in which to visit

GAO SSA Demonstration Projects Fail to Yield Reliable Information Due to Management Failures A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that, as of August 2008, the SSA had not fully implemented recommendations the GAO made in 2004

California Adds Prohibition Against Discrimination Based on Disability or Medical Condition California has added to a list of characteristics that cannot be the basis of discrimination in contracts by a workers’ compensation insurer, third party administrator or entity seeking a

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act  Agencies Issue Requests for Public Comments The Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Internal Revenue Service have issued a request for public comments concerning

Reminder Daylight Saving Time Ends Nov. 2 The end of daylight saving time requires clocks to be moved backward one hour at 2 00 a.m. on Sunday, November 2. Shift workers who are on duty at that time and who

More Than 90 Percent of Employees Losing Sleep Over Financial Worries Some 92 percent of employees say financial worries are keeping them up at night, according to a poll released by ComPsych Corporation on October 27. Only 8 percent of

Mass Layoffs Rise Slightly in September In September, employers took 2,269 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on October 22, 2008. Each action

California State Employee Guard and Reserves May Have Extended Benefits California has authorized the governor to extend certain military benefits by executive order by up to an additional 1,460 (formerly, 365) days. The new law applies to state employees who

PA Prohibits Mandatory Overtime for Some Health Care Workers On October 9, 2008, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell signed H. 834 into law. This legislation prohibits mandatory overtime for health care workers except in certain circumstances. The law, commonly known

New York Employers Required to Post Law Relating to Employment of Persons with Criminal Convictions Employers in the state of New York will be required to post a copy of the New York Correction Law relating to employment of persons

Nebraska Amends Child Support Payment Law Nebraska has amended it's child support payment law to require employers with more than 50 employees who have an employee with a child support order to remit child support payments electronically. ( L.B. 620,

Iowa Amends its UI law Regarding Penalties, Overpayments and Subpoenas Iowa has amended its Employment Security Law as follows Recovery of benefits. In cases where an individual receives an overpayment of benefits because of a reversal on appeal regarding the

Federal Statutes of Limitations, Inapplicable to USERRA Claims, New Law Clarifies President Bush has signed into law the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 which clarifies that there is "no limit on the period for filing" a complaint or claim under

Employees Can Receive $20 a Month for Riding Bikes to Work  The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110 343), which President Bush signed on October 3, 2008, adds qualified bicycle commuting reimbursements to the types of qualified transportation

Labor and Employment Lawsuits Most Numerous and Growing, Survey Says  Following two straight years of reporting declines in the number of new lawsuits and regulatory proceedings, U.S. companies now anticipate an uptick in new actions and government probes, as well

Online Job Demand Drops 216,000 in Sept., The Conference Board reports Online advertised vacancies fell by a seasonally adjusted 216,000 in September to 4,418,000 with widespread losses across the regions and the States, according to The Conference Board's Help Wanted

Florida Minimum Wage Increases to $7.21 on Jan. 1, 2009 Florida's minimum wage will increase to $7.21 per hour effective January 1, 2009. The minimum wage for tipped employees will be $4.19 per hour. The current minimum wage in Florida

Social Security Administration Announces 2009 Cost of Living Adjustment The Social Security Administration announced that the monthly benefit for 55 million Americans will increase by 5.8%.  This is the largest increase since 1982.  The maximum amount of earnings subject to the

Some State Laws Provide Time Off to Vote On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, millions of Americans are expected to vote in U.S. elections, including the 2008 presidential election. Many employers and employees want to understand how related voting laws and regulations

Multistate Employment Laws and Regulations, Wages-Hours, Labor Relations, October Update Arizona Minimum Wage The minimum wage in Arizona will increase to $7.25 per hour effective January 1, 2009. Arizona law provides that the minimum wage is to increase each January 1 based upon increases in the cost of livin

MN Issues Guidance on Withholding on Construction Contractors  The Minnesota Department of Revenue has created a Web page to address frequently asked questions relating to a new personal income tax withholding law impacting construction contractors. The new law, which takes

California Advises on Tax Treatment for Same Sex Married Couples On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that same sex couples could marry beginning at 5 p.m. on Monday, June 16, 2008. Now, same sex married couples (SSMCs)

President Signs Bailout Bill, Includes Payroll Related Provisions The President has signed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, (H.R. 1424) on October 3, 2008. The bill contains several payroll related provisions, discussed below. FUTA surtax The 0.2% FUTA surtax

Bush Signs Bipartisan Legislation Containing Mental Health Parity Provision  Following the Senate's lead, the House approved bipartisan legislation designed to provide Americans with greater access to mental health and addiction treatments. The Bush administration supports the measure and the president

California Requires Health Insurers to Provide HIV Testing  On or after January 1, 2009, every insurer that issues, amends, or renews an individual or group policy of health insurance that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses shall provide coverage for

California Imposes New Training Requirement for Health Care Providers  California has enacted a law that will require registered nurses, certified nurse assistants, licensed vocational nurses, and physicians working in skilled nursing facilities or congregate living health facilities to participate in a

Drive Safely Work Week is Oct. 6 10, 2008 Sponsored by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), Drive Safely Work Week is a nationally observed campaign designed to help employers emphasize the importance of driving safely both on

Kansas Amends its UI Law on Various Topics Kansas has amended its Employment Security Law as follows Contributions. If contributions for a calendar quarter are less than five dollars, payment is not required. Prior law required payment unless contributions were

California Amends Computer Software Professional Overtime Exemption, Adds Salary Requirement  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on September 30 amending overtime exemption requirements for employees in the computer software field to add an annual salary limit. Existing law exempts professional

Montana’s Minimum Wage to Increase to $6.90 on Jan. 1, 2009  Effective January 1, 2009, the Montana minimum wage will increase by 35 cents to $6.90 per hour. Montana Code Annotated Section 39 3 409 requires an adjustment to the state minimum

Colorado Minimum Wage Will Increase to $7.28 on Jan. 1, 2009 The minimum wage rate in the state of Colorado will increase to $7.28 per hour effective January 1, 2009. For tipped employees, the minimum wage will increase to $4.26 per

DC Allows Benefits to Surviving Domestic Partners (Workers' Compensation) The District of Columbia has changed its workers’ compensation law to designate domestic partners as survivors thereby allowing domestic partners to enjoy the same benefits as surviving spouses, provided the domestic

IRS Reminds Plan Sponsors of Sept. 30 Deadline for Obtaining AFTAP Actuarial Certification The IRS is reminding defined benefit plan sponsors that are subject to Code Sec. 436 and which have calendar plan years that they must obtain an actuarial certification

Per Diem Rates Released for Travel Expense Reimbursement Methods For expenses paid on or after October 1, 2008, the federal per diem rate, which is the sum of the federal lodging rate and the federal meals and incidental expenses rate

Arizona Minimum Wage to Increase to $7.25 per hour Jan. 1, 2009  The minimum hourly wage in Arizona will increase from $6.90 to $7.25 effective January 1, 2009, according to the Industrial Commission of Arizona. In accordance with Arizona's Minimum

HEART Act Guidance Coming, Says IRS Official The IRS is preparing guidance on the pension and benefit provisions in the Heroes Earnings Assistance Relief Tax (HEART) Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-245), according to Martin L. Pippins, manager, IRS Employee Plans Technical Guidance and Quality Assurance. However, Pippins, wh

NEW LAW President Signs ADA Amendments Act of 2008 into Law With his father standing by him, President George W. Bush signed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 into law on September 25, 2008 in the Oval Office. The ADA

National Drug Free Work Week is Oct. 20 through Oct. 26. This year's national Drug Free Work Week will take place Oct. 20 through Oct. 26. The purpose of Drug Free Work Week is to educate employers, employees and the

Employers Urged to Ready Themselves for Changes to ADA  “Employers need to immediately look at their existing policies, handbooks, procedures and job descriptions to determine whether they may now be at risk for a lawsuit under the ADA Amendments Act,” advises

Labor Department's Office of Labor Management Standards Announces August Criminal Enforcement Data The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS) has announced its criminal enforcement data for August 2008. During the month, OLMS obtained eight convictions, 10 indictments

Oregon Announces Minimum Wage Increase, to $8.40 per hour, for 2009 Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian has announced that Oregon's minimum wage rate will increase by 45 cents, from $7.95 to $8.40 per hour, effective January 1, 2009 (Oregon Bureau of

Oregon Requires Electronic Filing for W 2s in 2009  Beginning with 2009 information returns, the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) will require electronic filing of W 2s to report wages for personal income tax purposes. The new requirement will apply

Treasury and SBA Launch Web Site to Help Small Businesses Decide Whether to Offer HSAs The Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration (SBA) have announced the launch of a new website to help small business employers determine whether to offer

GAO Report Reveals that EEOC, OFCCP Are Not Adequately Monitoring Pay Disparities  Unveiling the findings of a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on September 10, 2008, Senators Tom Harkin (D Iowa) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D NY) assailed the

Missouri Minimum Wage Expected to Increase 6.1 Percent to $7.05 Per Hour in 2009 Although not final, Missouri's Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is projecting a 6.1 percent increase in the cost of living that would raise the state minimum

Ohio Coalition Withdraws Paid Sick Leave Initiative from November Ballot  The Ohioans for Healthy Families, a 229 member coalition of organizations trying to bring paid sick leave to Ohio workers, notified Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on September 4, 2008,

New Forms Will Make Correcting Employment Tax Returns Easier Correcting a previously filed employment tax return soon will be easier when the IRS releases the new 94X series of forms in January 2009. This release follows the Internal Revenue Service's

NY Amends Law Relating to Disposal of Records  New York has amended its General Business Law in relation to the disposal of records containing personal identifying information. No person, business, firm, partnership, association, or corporation, not including the state or

Texas Amends UI Regulations (Disclosure of Confidential Information) Regulations amended. The Regulations pertaining to the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act have been amended to adopt new regulations regarding the confidentiality and disclosure of unemployment compensation information. The newly adopted regulations are,

San Francisco (CA) Makes Commuter Benefits Mandatory San Francisco employers with 20 or more employees will be required to offer commuter benefits to encourage their employees to use public transit or van pools, pursuant to an ordinance signed recently by

Illinois Tech Workers Must Report Child Pornography Found On Computers Illinois has enacted a new law requiring certain electronic and information technology workers to report on any child pornography found while installing, repairing, or otherwise servicing an item of electronic and information technology

BLS Reports Number of Workplace Homicides Up in 2007 Workplace homicides rose 13 percent to 610 in 2007 after reaching a series low of 540 in 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Even with the increase, workplace homicides have

Seasonal August Increase in Online Job Demand Offsets Large July Loss In August 2008, there were 4,833,700 online advertised job vacancies, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine Data Series™ (HWOL) released September 3. The August increase of 314,300

DOL Extends Time to Comment on Proposed FLSA Revisions In the Federal Register of July 28, 2008, the Department of Labor published a notice of proposed rulemaking requesting public comments on proposed revisions to update existing outdated regulatory provisions under

State Laws Prohibiting Smoking in Private Worksites Triple  The number of states with laws prohibiting smoking in private sector worksites, restaurants and or bars in the United States tripled and the number with no such laws was halved between 2005

The deadline for filing the Employer Information Report EEO-1, otherwise known as the EEO-1 report, is Sept. 30, 2008.

Oregon amends its UI regulations on various topics.

According to WorldatWork, salary structures are projected to increase in 2009 as follows:

Beginning on and after the first quarter of 2009... 

The benefits of an effective succession plan are seemingly plain to see, but most companies are apparently wearing blinders.

The prior version of the form was set to expire at the end of June 2008. Now, the Form I-9 expires June 30, 2009.

With the federal minimum wage increasing to $6.55 on July 24, 2008, employers may take up to $4.42 as a tip credit.